Like most people in the world I am missing my grandparents and entire family, it's going on three years since I have seen them and to be honest I'm not the best when it comes to checking but I do my best. Today was one of those days when I pushed myself to be my best and check in. My grandpa isn't much of a talker but has improved over the years and he always says the kindest things. I shared with him that I'm working on writing a book, he always compliments my writing and thinks I should write for a newspaper. When I told him about the book he said, "I want a signed copy." I cried and then told him he has to read it first.
I didn't go up in a traditional home, my parents divorced when I was 3 and my grandparents where nothing like grandparents today but that doesn't mean they loved me any less. The best part of my every other weekend to my dads house at the farm always meant that I would see my grandparents, the odd aunt or uncle and cousins. Today as I chatted with my grandma she shared stories of her parents and how hard her mother had to work when she was raising them, what I admired the most about her was how gracefully she spoke of her mother and how hard she worked for the family. I love that my grandmother can say whatever she wants, it's a right of passage when you become a certain age, although today she was talking about seeing a picture of me and couldn't believe it was me and how I have "thinned" out over the years lol. We talked about grandparents making comments like, "enjoy them while they are young because before you know it they will be off to college and then getting married." I remember when someone said this to me and the more I think about it, it was said often usually by strangers on the street or at the grocery store. People to seem to be really offended by unsolicited advice but I love it because I can take it or leave it and usually someone older than me has lived through something I haven't and I could use the wisdom. I'm not going to lie it's hard to be present when our kids are small which means they are busy and always needing a snack or attention but it's true, it goes so fast. I wish someone would have taught me then how to prioritize what's important and what's not. In the ideal world laundry isn't important but it has to be done. It was really about slowing down and enjoying being with the girls while doing laundry instead of focusing on not liking to do the laundry. I also laugh when we complain about laundry, we have a machine that does it for us. Could you imagine complaining to your great grandparents about doing laundry? What I loved the most about what my grandma said to me today was, "I have lived through a lot but we all need to grow through life to truly understand it." Ain't that the truth? There is so much bliss in slowing down and growing through life and being grateful for where we are at instead of always striving to be at the next spot. Today was the perfect example for me of slowing down when I decided to walk away from all that needed to be done and focus on all that mattered. One day at a time, one moment at a time.
Authentically,
Erin
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